Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), who is allegedly responsible for a fire at a hospital in Pingtung County that killed nine people in October last year, has been released on bail of NT$5 million (US$152,318).
Su, former honorary director of Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital in Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港), was questioned and released on bail on Wednesday, the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday.
Su is suspected of negligent homicide and contravening building regulations, the prosecutors’ statement said.
Photo: Taipei Times
“The task force will continue to review the evidence, clarify the facts and determine responsibility as quickly as possible,” they said.
Nine people — eight patients and one hospital employee — died in a fire that broke out in Block D of the hospital building, where 324 patients were staying, the Pingtung County Government’s Communication and International Affairs Division said on Oct. 3 last year.
Su yesterday thanked the county government for its support and the prosecutors for their “diligence,” but said that it was “inconvenient” to discuss the matter with reporters while the investigation was ongoing.
At a news conference on Jan. 3, the Pingtung County Government said that illegal construction work had been done on about 47 percent of the hospital’s 21,830m2 area.
It also said it had not received any reports of illegal construction at the hospital over the past 10 years, and that the Department of Urban and Rural Development was the primary competent authority tasked with ensuring regulatory compliance at the hospital.
If convicted of negligent homicide under Article 276 of the Criminal Code, Su could face up to five years in prison for each charge.
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